Battleship
by snarkysweetness
Summary: Set after Girl in the Flower Dress, a drunken Ward finds Skye crying in her pod and is unable to resist the urge to comfort her.


**Title: **Battleship  
**Author:** snarkysweetness  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Pairing:** Skye/Ward  
**Summary:** Set after _Girl in the Flower Dress_, a drunken Ward finds Skye crying in her pod and is unable to resist the urge to comfort her.  
**Warnings:** Mild-angst but mostly Grant Ward being a big ol' dummy.  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.  
**Author's Notes: **As you can see I am really bad with actually posting stories. I started this back after the Skye reveal last fall and while I'm sure it's been done, here it is anyway. I dedicate this to Kendyll because I want her to cry. Pretty sure out OTP name should just be 'cries about it'.

He was drunk. Not that this was entirely new for him, Grant Ward was a fan of a good Scotch, especially after a rough day on the job and as it happened he had plenty of those. With the nearly empty bottle still in hand Ward staggered out of the bar and towards the common area, ready to take comfort in the bed waiting for him in his pod.

Halfway there he took pause. Quiet sobs filled the air and he frowned. He took one step towards the pod where the cries were emerging from before stopping himself. He was still angry and hurt by her betrayal, so much so he'd ignored the pain on her face when he'd turned her away. She could cry all night for all he cared, she deserved it.

Ward took another swig from the bottle and took another step towards his pod when a tiny hiccup filled the air followed by a heart-wrenching sob. Guilt nagged at him and he tried to ignore it. He was angry and-

Another sob filled the air.

Dammit, he wouldn't walk away from her, not when she was in this much pain. He took a final drink, for courage, before setting the bottle down on the nearest surface and moving to her door. He stood awkwardly for a moment, unsure if he should knock. It would be polite, but Jemma and Leo were asleep in their own pods nearby. Mustering up his courage he found the door to be unlocked and pushed it open.

"Skye?"

She glanced up at him, eyes red and puffy and still filled with tears and his heart broke. Had he helped cause this? He knew he wanted to be angry but how was he supposed to do that when she looked at him like that? Even he was human.

Mustering up every bit of dignity she had left Skye wiped at her eyes, straightened her spine, and put on a brave face.

"Can I help you, Agent Ward?"

"Are you…" he sighed. This was awkward. He was awkward. Obviously she wasn't okay and she was still hurt by his behavior earlier or she wouldn't be trying to pretend that he hadn't just caught her crying in her bed. And he wanted to protect her, despite everything. He'd failed to protect his brother and once he'd been able to fight back, his entire life had been about protecting others. He could easily walk away and let her be alone but now that he was here, he felt the need to do something.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. That seemed to be a good place to start. He'd been an asshole. Skye was…well, she was an enigma, but she wasn't a traitor. She was just a girl who'd gotten in over her head because some guy had taken advantage of her. He knew another broken person when he saw one and how easy it was to buy into the lie of finding a home in another person. And instead of being there for her when she'd needed him he'd turned his back on her. He wasn't going to make that same mistake twice.

"It's fine. I'm fine." She ducked her head and he sighed again. He didn't like anyone to see him break down either but he wasn't going to let her brush him off.

"No, you're not," he whispered before stepping into her pod and letting the door close behind her. "I was a jerk earlier and…I know you made a mistake. I shouldn't have held it against you. You lied to us but…"

"But even Grant Ward can't resist a silly girl crying alone in her bunk?"

He cringed and motioned toward the bed. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. He took a seat and awkwardly folded his hands in his laps, unsure of where else to put them. "What happened with Coulson?" She was still here, which was more of a factor for why he was less angry than he cared to admit. If she was still here then Coulson still trusted her and if Coulson trusted her, why shouldn't he?

Skye pulled her knees against her chest and rested her chin on them. She chewed on her reply for a moment before speaking. "I told him the truth. I joined Rising Tide and the team so I could find my parents," she whispered before pulling a small USB drive out of her pocket. She stared at it sadly for a moment before holding it out for him.

Ward took it with care, seeing how much it meant to her. "Everything is on there, all I've been able to find. S.H.I.E.L.D. redacted most of the files about my arrival at the orphanage I was raised in; it seemed to be the best place to find answers. I'm sorry I lied to you and to the team, but this is something I had to do and I'm not going to stop looking."

His breath caught and he met her eyes. "You said once you wiped your slate clean, is this why?" She'd agreed to do it for Peterson and he'd wondered how easy it would really be to erase who you are and start over; a fresh start.

Skye wiped her eyes while laughing bitterly. "There are ears everywhere," she muttered before nodding.

The guilt returned. She really had needed his support, to have someone at her back, to confide in, and he'd let his pride get in the way. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out to put an arm around her shoulder, surprising them both. He didn't do physical contact or emotions well, but he wanted to try, for her.

Skye glanced up at him, fresh tears in her eyes, before resting her head against his chest. Ward wrapped both arms around her tiny frame before pulling her closer. He wasn't sure how long they sat that way, holding one another, but it didn't matter. He was getting it right, for once, and he wasn't leaving until she asked him to.

He thought back to the games they'd play and a small smile played on his lips. Once again his childhood came to mind. When times got really bad he'd wished for someone. Someone to play the games he'd create to distance himself from it all. Someone he could love and be happy with and he wondered if she was here, in his arms.

Had he wished for her without realizing it?

Ward buried his face in her hair and inhaled, holding her more tightly. She'd come from nothing; erased herself so she could become invisible. But he saw her; really saw her for the first time but he had no clue how to love her. He had no clue how to love anyone.

He saw her now and while he wasn't sure if he could love her he knew he could protect her. And he would protect her. He'd protect all of them, it was his specialty.

Skye shifted in his arms and he glanced down to find her watching him. His heart stopped. She was looking at him with a look he'd never seen but recognized easily.

"Skye-"

"You can't doubt me again," she whispered. He opened his mouth but she cut him off. "I…I've never had a family before and this team…I know I messed up. It wasn't until I thought I'd lose all of you that I realized how much you all mean to me and I cannot lose my family, not now that I've found it.

And you…

You're dependable, Ward. All of you. I know…I know I can count on you and it scares me. I don't know how to do this and I'm going to mess up again and I need to know that when that happens you're not going-"

She was crying again and he wiped her tears, unsure of what to do or say.

"I don't…I don't have friends, Skye, and my family…well, you can't always pick your family. And I can't make you any promises, except that I'll try." This was Skye, with walls down, allowing herself to be seen and to feel and he knew the next time he messed up and hurt her, he would ruin her. It was more responsibility than he could handle but this was why he'd joined this team, to learn how to be a better man. And for whatever reason, she made him want to be better. He couldn't love her the way she deserved but he could be her friend, her family, someone she could depend on. He wanted to be that for her. She deserved it.

"I guess it's a good thing Fitzsimmons are well adjusted, maybe we can ask them for tips," Skye teased.

He smiled and allowed his hand to linger on her cheek. "Skye, about Miles…"

"Don't." She shook her head. "It was stupid. I'm stupid. He was someone from my past and I made a mistake. He was never who I thought he was and I just let myself get sucked back in. He won't be a problem again."

"That's not-good." Now was not the time to get into his jealousy. Skye seemed to already know because she grinned, a beautiful sight even with the tears.

"Should I go?" He didn't want to outstay his welcome and he felt confident he'd helped repair whatever damage he'd done. She'd had a rough night and he was sure she'd need some time alone to sort it all out now that she was feeling less alone.

Skye shook her head. "Why did you come?" She moved her hand to cover his and goose bumps formed along his spine. "I know you were angry with me and you had every right to be…you didn't have to check in on me."

"Yes, I did," he replied without thinking.

Skye leaned into his touch and he suddenly became aware that she was basically in his lap and they were dangerously close to one another. "Why?"

"Because-" Skye leaned in and he realized this was when he was supposed to kiss her. He swallowed, battling nerves. He'd been with plenty of women but she was different. This was different. She terrified him. "I couldn't…" He forgot what he was going to say because their lips met halfway.

As cheesy at it sounded to him, Ward melted into the kiss. The warmth of his earlier binge mixed with the warmth of her tear-stained face in his hands left him feeling dizzy. He couldn't kiss her the way he wanted, the way he'd secretly fantasized about when alone, but he made sure this kiss counted.

She was the first one to pull away and he cleared his throat, unsure of what to do now. She glanced down and did the same. "So…that was…_nice_." Their eyes met and they both began to laugh. Why was it when feelings were involved neither of them knew how to handle it?

"It's getting late," he began, to keep from kissing her again. Her smile was infectious and did things to him; things that frightened him.

She sighed. "Right. I…well…" She frowned for a moment and wrinkled her nose before exhaling. "Will you stay? I just…I don't want to be alone. I mean, you don't have to-"

Ward cut her off with a kiss, confident that he'd done the right thing; in the moment and in sucking up his pride and coming to her in the first place. He wasn't sure what any of this meant but he'd promised to try and he was sure leaving the girl he maybe couldn't admit he had feelings for alone to cry some more would be a mistake.

"Just promise me you won't hog the blankets," he whispered, earning him another smile.

"Don't worry; I think there will be plenty to go around on this _huge_ bed."

Ward chuckled and embraced her, pulling her against his chest before lying back on the small, yet comfortable cot; Fury hadn't skimped on anything with Coulson's bus. Skye curled up like a small cat and yanked a quilt over their bodies. Ward pressed his lips to the top of her head and held her close. Tomorrow was going to come with questions he wasn't ready to answer but for now he would allow himself to take comfort in knowing his wish had come true.


End file.
